It happens especially in summer: You have been on your feet all day and in the evening, when you take off your shoes, a subtle or even intense smelly feet comes towards you. This is uncomfortable, but it can be avoided or at least reduced. We explain to you how the unpleasant smell comes about and what you can do about it. The best tips can be found here.

How does smelly feet develop?

Foot odor or smelly feet can have very different causes. However, it is usually a harmless reason: smelly feet. Especially if you suffer from foot odor mainly in the summer months, you probably just have sweaty feet. After all, there is hardly any other part of the human body that has as many sweat glands as the feet.

Sweat is odorless in itself, but it begins to smell when bacteria decompose the sweat on the skin. Then foul-smelling butyric acid is produced and the typical sweat odor occurs. It attaches itself particularly to the feet when shoes are tight and not breathable at high temperatures such as in summer.

However, besides this harmless cause, there are other reasons for foot odor. These are:

Athlete’s foot
Hormonal imbalances
Taking medication

If you can rule out that your foot odor is caused by smelly feet, you should speak to your doctor and find out whether one of the causes listed above is possible.

Best tips & remedies for smelly feet

1. The right footwear

Especially in summer you should make sure that you wear suitable footwear. At very high temperatures, open-toe shoes help to avoid annoying foot odor, as the feet sweat less and foot sweat cannot accumulate. If you want to wear closed shoes, make sure that they are made of breathable materials. This includes leather, for example. But there are now also shoes that are made of other breathable materials or have mesh inserts, for example. These are net-like structures built into the shoe that allow good ventilation of the feet.

2. The right socks

Also pay attention to natural materials for socks and avoid socks made of synthetic materials. Cotton is well suited because it can absorb sweat and so it does not stay on the skin.

3. Change shoes and socks and disinfect them

If you sweat a lot, you should change your socks and shoes regularly. Disinfecting the shoes several times a week also works well against smelly feet. There are special antibacterial disinfection sprays for this purpose. They ensure that the bacteria that are responsible for the unpleasant foot odor are eliminated.

Shoes made from non-sensitive textiles can also be put in the washing machine to rid them of bacteria. A hygiene detergent that has an antibacterial effect can support the effect. Before you put them on again, however, you should make sure that the shoes are completely dry.

4. Use insoles

Insoles are also a good way to prevent unpleasant smelly feet. These absorb sweat and prevent it from sticking to the skin. Here, too, it is best to choose insoles made of natural materials such as leather. But there are also soles that have antibacterial properties and that fight bacteria when they are worn.

But the same applies to insoles: Change them regularly. You can find out when it’s time for this by taking a trial test.

5. Care feet, remove calluses

In the fight against smelly feet, regular foot care is the be-all and end-all. Here, you should be careful to carefully remove excess callus, because dead skin is a popular place to stay for bacteria. For foot care, you can go to a podiatrist or tackle the callus at home with pumice stone etc.

6. Foot baths

Regular foot baths are also an effective remedy for smelly feet – especially in the morning before you step into your shoes. You can add herbs to the baths. Sage works well against sweaty feet. For this you can pour sage tea and add it to the foot bath. Ginger is also good against the odor on the feet, as it has an antibacterial effect. Other good additives against foot odor are: apple cider vinegar, black tea or tea tree oil.

Dry your feet thoroughly after the foot bath – especially between the toes. This works well with a hair dryer.

7. Foot powder

Many people with smelly feet problems swear by foot powder. It forms a layer around the feet that directly absorbs and encloses sweat. This prevents foot odor and the feet feel dry.

8. Baking soda

Baking soda is an absolute all-rounder – in the kitchen, in the household and also in the bathroom for body care. If you rub your feet with a tablespoon of baking soda before putting on your socks, it can neutralize odors there. Baking soda can also be put directly into the shoes and spread there – as a preventive measure or if they already smell slightly.

9. Care products with aluminum chloride

Aluminum chloride causes the sweat ducts to contract, which means that the feet sweat less and there is no smelly feet. The active ingredient is also used for many commercially available deodorants. However, aluminum chloride has been criticized for a number of years because it is said to damage the nervous system and can be carcinogenic. In a statement published in 2020 by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, however, it was said that adverse health effects from aluminum absorption through the skin were unlikely.

10. Attention in changing rooms!

In the changing rooms of fitness centers and swimming pools, there is always the possibility that odor-producing bacteria are on the floor – for example, if someone was standing there in front of you with sweaty socks. To avoid picking them up with your socks or feet, always make sure to wear bathing shoes to keep your bare feet or socks off the ground.